Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing in Patients With Left Bundle Branch Block and Preserved Ejection Fraction

Abstract Background: Left bundle branch block (LBBB) has prognostic significance in patients with congestive heart failure. However, its influence is not well established in patients with preserved systolic ventricular function. Objective: To evaluate the implications of LBBB presence in the cardiovascular performance of patients with preserved left ventricular systolic function (LVEF). Methods: 26 LBBB patients (61.3 ± 8.2 years of age) and 23 healthy individuals (58 ± 6.8 years of age) with LVEF > 0.5 underwent cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET). Results: CPET analysis revealed: peak oxygen consumption (VO2) predicted in the LBBB group was 87.2 ± 15.0% versus 105.0 ± 15.6% (p